The Secret History Of ECW | Wrestling Timelines

November 7, 1999 - Taz Is Gone Too

WWE WWF Royal Rumble 2000 Tazz Kurt Angle
WWE.com

Taz wrestles his last match as an ECW full-timer, doing a job to Rob Van Dam at November To Remember. The departure is acrimonious; once fans become aware that yet another star is going to the big two, he is pelted with chants of “You sold out!”

Years later, soaked in tears, Taz tells the story of the hours that led up to his WWF debut at Royal Rumble 2000. Reinforcing Heyman’s aura as cult leader, Taz can only go through with his dream and contracted date after he receives Paul’s blessing. He gets it.

Taz also mentions that he had three goals when he started out. He wanted to make enough money in wrestling to get by, purely so that he could do what he loved. He wanted the validation of holding any title, anywhere. He also wanted to wrestle, if only just once, at Madison Square Garden.

That last note is crucial. It says a lot about ECW’s mission and its fate. ECW exists to dismantle the establishment - but some institutions will never go away. The WWF was lame when ECW caught fire, but the big-time Garden magic is timeless, too strong a pull for wrestlers and fans alike.

There’s another parallel with Tony Khan’s AEW here. AEW also established itself in defiance of an unfashionable monopoly. Fans were frustrated with it, but in 2022, when Paul Levesque took over the creative, they returned. WWE is the market leader for a reason, and when it’s hot, no other promotion stands a chance of drawing buzz.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!